Student Life

“I wonder anybody does anything at Oxford but dream and remember, the place is so beautiful. One almost expects the people to sing instead of speaking. It is all like an opera.” – William Butler Yeats

As ‘visiting students,’ Williams students are full members of Exeter College. They can join all college clubs, sports teams and other organizations, they enjoy full access to the college library, and they may dine as often as they please in Hall during term time.

Students in the Williams-Exeter Programme are encouraged to join campus clubs, organizations, and athletic teams, as well as take advantage of the more than 300 student organizations established at the university (ranging from ballroom dancing and wine-tasting to rowing and rugby).

While there is an undeniable emphasis on academics, the independent work required by the tutorial-based system and its largely self-scheduled nature, coupled with generous four-week breaks between terms, leave students free to take advantage of the new surroundings. Many decide to travel within the United Kingdom and Europe during their year abroad.

The four-building Ephraim Williams House compound in North Oxford offers Williams students a home base near town, just over a mile from Exeter. The complex includes student bedrooms (spacious doubles), kitchens, lounges, laundry facilities, a dining room, a computer lab, and a library, as well as outdoor space for basketball, croquet, and barbecues. It’s a short bike or bus ride (or a 20-minute walk) from Exeter College and the center of town, and is within easy walking distance of university parks and the local shops, restaurants and banks of Summertown. The Programme will partially subsidize student bus passes or bicycle purchases/rentals to facilitate travel around Oxford.

The surrounding city is full of pubs, cafes, restaurants, parks, theaters, and other attractions. To further enhance the Williams-Exeter experience, students in the Programme receive a cultural fund stipend to cover attendance at concerts, plays, museums, sporting events and other events. The Programme holds weekly catered meals and a variety of events throughout the year.

Throughout the academic year, provisions will be made for trips to a number of sites of historical, cultural, or political interest. In the past, these have included the Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, Wimbledon, and various destinations within London. Students are also given the opportunity to attend a number of theatrical productions and other cultural events. Oxford’s proximity to London gives students ready access to that city’s many attractions and resources. Oxford-London train service is frequent and the journey takes just over an hour. Buses to London run even more regularly (and are cheaper), and the one-way journey takes about 90 minutes.